Wrestling: The Foundation of UFC Champions

Hardest combat sport? Wrestling has produced more UFC champions than any other martial arts base, with a 2019 analysis counting 28 individual men’s champions whose primary discipline was wrestling. A broader analysis that included champions with folkstyle wrestling backgrounds put the figure at 33 that same year, showing how the definition changes the total. Champions such as Daniel Cormier, Henry Cejudo, Mark Coleman and Chris Weidman demonstrate wrestling’s successful transition into MMA.